B i o g r a p h y (by Official Site)
Koop is Magnus Zingmark & Oscar Simonsson. When listening to Koops music it's somehow easy to believe that it's played by a small orchestra, but in fact the music is based on samples. Thousands of small clips from records puzzled together into new songs. All the drums, strings, horn sections and choires are actually sampled! This is a very time consuming way to make music (it's one of the reasons it takes such long time to make a koop album), but it's the only way to create the surreal Koop sound. One thing though, that for sure aren't sampled, is the vocals. Many singers has blessed the Koop albums with their talent, and on Koop Islands the singers are : Yukimi Nagano, Ane Brun, Hilde-Louise Asbjornsen,Rob Gallagher and Mikael Sundin. Some fine musicians has also participated on the album playing solos, percussion and bass. Those are : Mattias Ståhl, Magnus Lindgren, Karl Frid, Nils Berg, Martin Höper, Ola Bothzén, Dan Berglund and Mats Lindfors. When playing live Koop transforms into a 7-9 piece swing orchestra including one or two singers, and the main mission is to make people move their feet. The line-up may vary from time to time so if you are looking for the personel on a specific concert please dont hesitate to drop a message on myspace. Koop them selves plays piano/accordion (Oscar), sampler (Magnus), and wear dresses. Before we start we need you to do one thing. Listen to Come To Me. If you ask me, that song encapsules almost everything you need to know about Koop Islands. After just a few seconds your´re in two completely different places at the same time. Come To Me is the point where the Swedish summer solstice meets a Caribbean christmas. It´s where the sweetest melody ever swings easy on a faraway beach where Santa Clause handles the steel pans. Welcome to Koop Islands. A place where music and life swing to a slightly different drum. It´s been four years since we last heard from the Stockholm based duo of Oscar Simonsson and Magnus Zingmark. Their album Waltz for Koop slowly but surely found it´s way into the hearts of more than 160.000 record buyers across the globe. Then followed the world tours, the two sets a night at the Blue Note and hundreds of remixes, until finally they found themselves back in Stockholm able to begin work on what was to become Koop Islands. Where Waltz For Koop was steeped in a modern – and modernist - take on 60s jazz and swedish songstressess from the time (Monica Zetterlunds name was mentioned more times than the group thought was fair), Koop Islands has – despite its name - very little to do with romanticising the Stockholm archipelago. Rather, it goes much, much further south west, all the way down the caribbiean for inspiration. That´s where you´ll find Koop Islands on their imaginary world map. Also, Magnus and Oscar realised that sometimes the only way forwards is to go as far back in history as possible. - I think we can do that, says Magnus. Our music is created in a post-sampling world where everything is possible. Even time travel. That´s why we just laugh if somone calls what we do retro. So back they went. Back to the swing of the 1930s, the exoticism of forgotten orchestras and entertainers performing on late 40s yacht cruises to Jamaica. The characteristic Koop vibes now joined by marimbas, furious gene krupaesque jungle drums (just listen to them rip on Forces… Darling) and an ever present Cape Verdean Blues with just a hint of Mento that would have made islanders in european exile, like the recently salvaged Lord Kitchener & His Friends, nod in approval. This journey in time and music is what forms the foundation Koop Islands was built on. We create jazz music, says Oscar. It´s as simple as that. We can´t do pop, electronica, techno or whatever because we´re just no good at it. Knowing this and having accepted it we can basically do whatever we want. If we wanna explore and pick up pieces from, say, 1929 – we can. On their travels towards Koop Islands they were joined by their inner circle of friends, some of whom you might remember from Waltz For Koop. The amazing Yukimi Nagano with her free flowing vocals and her male counterpart - the criminally underrated Mikael Sundin. Ex-Galliano main man Rob Gallagher tells a heartbreaking tale that weaves together tennis ace Björn Borg with the sad story of the passing of a mother. On the american release of the album is a new track, "Strange Love", included. It's sung by Hilde Louise Asbjornsen, a new swinging discovery and the main singer in the koop live set. And, last but no way least, on the album´s title track the norweigan singer-songwriter Ane Brun heads out on her virgin tour of the Islands. Even though Magnus and Oscars hearts and souls are filled with exotic and eclecticly swinging sounds the whole album was produced and recorded in their own tiny studio on Stockholms Södermalm. If you listen very carefully you can hear the number 4 bus go by on the snowy street outside.
Introduktion (Instrumental) Glömd Psalm Bjarne Riis (Instrumental) Absolute space Words of tranquility Salvation Jellyfishes Once Britten Hellsbells
Waltz For Koop Tonight Baby Summer Sun Soul For Sahib Modal Mile In A Heartbeat Relaxin At Club F.....n Bright Nights
Koop islands blues Come to me Forces... darling I see a different you Let's elope The moonbounce (Instrumental) Beyond the son Whenever there is you Drum rhythm a
Strange Love
*** Thanx a lot to the Jennifer for these lyrics ***
*** Thanx a lot to Bree who updated this one ***
Psalm
Absolute space
Peacefully I close my eyes To get a better view No need for words now No need for words While I never come closer Whispering Whispering softly I try to get close There's a place Behind this view While I never come closer No I never come closer To where I wanna be There's no space Left for me But I never come closer (x6)
Words of tranquility
Seal the fire take my gown Seal the fire take my gown Seal the fire take my gown My desires are made of cold I'm a pilot I'm above You're a chauffeur Down below Seal the fire take my gown My desires made of gold I'm a pilot I'm above You're a chauffeur Down below If you join me You'll be strong If you join me You'll last long I guaranty you Be safe from harm And I'll s… of it You'll see If you join me You'll be strong If you join me You'll last long I guaranty you Be safe from harm And I'll s… of it You'll see If you join me You'll be strong If you join me You'll last long I guaranty you Be safe from harm And I'll s… of it You'll seeSeal the fire take my gown (x2)
*** Thanx a lot to Özgül who corrected some mistakes ***
Salvation
*** Thanx a lot to Özgül & Bree who updated this one ***
Jellyfishes
Jellyfishes All the people go Where the water flows Jellyfishes Will you ever know When morning grows (x3) Jellyfishes All the people go Where the water flows Jellyfishes Will you ver know When morning grows (x3)
Once britten
Can I ease my pain Hurting real time Can I ease my pain Behaves like a constant Pionneers my veins Without permissions Pionneers my veins Under your command I'm dreaming You're bleeding Brand new chest chase Strong becomes weak or even less Fading grace Going, going, gone Can I ignore myself, no I need remedy Make my world go sane And reappear I'm dreaming You're bleeding (x ?)
Hellsbells
Gudarna leker men oss. Med detta mörker vill jag trotsa dem (The Gods are playing with us. With this darkness I want to defiance them)
Waltz For Koop
Waltz for Koop
We never seem to find peace of mind We're always on the run away from the sun And we've only just begin. You say we've overcome nothing is wrong You say our job is done the battle is won But we've only just begun. You say our job is done the battle is won But we've only just begun.
*** Thanx a lot to Paul for this one *** Tonight
Why oh why Must time fly Tonight. And hush, don't you cry When I say: I do Time oh time Give me time Tonight. Tonight. Why oh why Must time fly Tonight. And why don't you you smile When I say: Love you Time oh time Give us time Tonight. Tonight...
*** Thanx a lot to Paul for this one ***
Baby You and I, love will not compromise And we, we can go on Cause you and me we can't go wrong Sleep will close your eyes Dream of love and make it multiply Cause we, we can't go wrong You and me we can't go wrong go wrong.. You and I, love will not compromise And we, we can go on Cause you and me we can't go wrong Sleep will close your eyes Dream of love and make it multiply cause we, we can go on You and me we can't go wrong Cause you and me we can't go wrong Cause you and me we can't go You and me We can't go wrong...
*** Thanx a lot to Mawfunk for this one ***
Summer sun Hey, summer sun You always smile Clouds in the sky You never mind Happy or sad You always shine Never before I've met your kind Love had never got a hold on me Until you stepped out of a dream My life once a misery Now your love has set me free Hey, summer sun Your love's divine Never before I've met your kind And now you're mine (scatting) Hey, summer sun You always smile Clouds in the sky You never mind Happy or sad You always shine Never before I've met your kind Love had never got a hold on me Until you stepped out of a dream My life once a misery Now your love has set me free My summer sun Your love's divine Never before I've met your kind And now you're mine
*** Thanx a lot to Mawfunk & Grace for this one ***
Modal Mile My face is leaned up on her N blocks a coptic smile She got the understated She got the car crash hands She got my size ten meathooks They hide a gangees tongue She knows the lawless shan lands She walks a modal mile I stay sub-merged for two days I may go back for three I'm backing off till morning To follow bassline leads I'm standing still on 10th street I'm not the only one I want this night to stretch us There's plenty left to know I walked a million marchers And i got million hands It's all just blistered slipstream It's all just space to run I pull the budda hamstring I'm looking homer tides I clean the pipe hea scrapings I'm not the only one The street breath is upon me We walk the river miles The ageless cities waiting In gospell bus stop eyes You're asking more than reason She ransom freestyle flow She not the only one I'm not the only one She wait with dread upon her She wait butnot for i I try the sky for reason It just won't trust me still I know there's more than i see I know there's more to tell She wait down by the river She knows but keeps it well
*** Thanx a lot to Andrea for this one ***
In A Heartbeat Standing next to you A dream is coming true In a heartbeat Feeling's right I finally see the light In a heartbeat Something in your eyes Has got me hypnotized In a heartbeat And near or far I try to be where you are In a heartbeat Wanna laugh wanna sing Wanna do everything In a heartbeat Wanna live wanna be Where's the spirits are free In a heartbeat Keep it up keep it down Keep it turning around In a heartbeat Make it dark make it light Make it magic tonight In a heartbeat It all seems strange My whole life has changed In a heartbeat Love is shining through In everything you do Honey in a heartbeat And something in your eyes Has got me hypnotized In a heartbeat And near or far I try to be where you are In a heartbeat
Relaxin At Club F.....N
All the colors are changing All the colors are changing All the colors are changing Autumn is here Autumn is here All the colors are changing All the colors are changing All the colors are changing Autumn is here Autumn is here
*** Thanx a lot to Iason who corrected this one ***
Bright Nights
Bright Nights City Lights And we won't leave soon The DJ kicks jazzy licks A favourite tune Afro-Blue Cocoa hue Midsummer Moon. Bright Nights City Lights And we won't leave soon.
Koop islands
Koop Islands Blues Ane Brun : Hello my love It's getting cold on this island I'm sad alone I'm so sad on my own The truth is We were much too young Now I'm looking for you Or anyone like you We said goodbye With the smile on our faces Now you're alone You're so sad on your own The truth is We run out of time Now you're looking for me Or anyone like me Na na na na… Hello my love It's getting cold on this island I'm sad alone I'm so sad on my own The truth is We were much too young Now I'm looking for you Or anyone like you Come to me Yukimi Nagano : Baby, I've been waiting for you Don't run away now You've got nothing to lose Baby, I feel so alone And I need someone To call my own 'Cause my love has just left me And I need someone new Who can tell me forever In my eyes I own you (?) Baby, oh baby, oh baby Come to me Baby, I've been waiting on you Don't run away now You've got nothing to lose Baby, I feel so alone And I need someone To call my own 'Cause my love has just left me And I need someone new Who can tell me forever In my eyes I own you (?) Baby, oh baby, oh baby Come to me
Forces …Darling
She had the force of nature Some say the force of hell God took out an insurance For when that angel fell Understandably jumpy Dark on the stairs Those hate and love brothers Did their night hits in pairs Now love sits beside him To set out their case Dressed up words real pretty All shotguns and lace But when they were over He got held by the seat Had some place to walk but A look jumped off his feet There's just a thought that They'd been there too long As shadows grow They can't believe the pull How the night had got so strong Forces...darling I'll never run from you Forces...darling I'll never run from you Back then things were different A long time ago South of hell's borders Saint Peter just won't go She knew of his dark side Asked, 'Was there no light?" He said "Honey I'm the devil, It just wouldn't be right" There's just a thought that They'd been there too long As shadows grow They can't believe the pull How the night had got so strong Forces...darling I'll never run from you Forces...darling I'll never run from you
*** Thanx a lot to Paul & John & Joe for this one ***
I See A Different You
Yukumi Nagano : So we are astray There's nothing else to do In another place I see a different you 'Cause we We left and lost again I'll never love again Oh, baby now we are apart There's nothing we can do In a different place I see another you And in another place I see a different you So we are astray There's nothing else to do In another place I see a different you 'Cause we We left and lost again I'll never love again Oh, baby, now we are apart There's nothing we can do In a different place I see another you And in another place I see a different you Oh, we left and we lost I'll never love again Let's Elope Today Mikael Sundin :
Let's elope today Or find a secret hideaway Somewhere's here to stay Leaves will fall on another day Another day There's a place I know We can go where the cops won't show For this land we pray Leaves will fall on another day Youth is gone now I hear you say But it doesn't matter anyway I'll cook the dinners If you bring the wine Youth has gone Never rich, still shy Let's elope today Or find a secret hideaway Somewhere's here to stay Leaves will fall on another day Youth has gone now I hear you say But it doesn't matter anyway I'll cook the dinners If you bring the wine Youth has gone now Never rich, still shy Let's elope today
Beyond the son
Earl Zinger : Dear, thanks for your letter Sounds like you're living the way you wanted And that makes me smile No I hadn't heard Bjorn Borg retired Thank God one of us has a finger on an sporting pulse No records left to collect your complaint Well, Borg, Brolin and an unknown tennis trainer released something recently No doubt your contacts in the Stockholm underworld can source that gem Got back the other day to find the pub on the corner had been burnt down A dark London street story I won't burden you with now Determined as I am to write you some life affirming shit And not drag you an a regular trawl through the night seas to find what crawls Yet I know they're casting their lots to see who can get the old pubs' lease And turn it into more luxury flats Brick by brick the infiltration has begun I feel moved to take a spray can and ending step to the boarding But as yet I can't think of anything whitty or on point enough to be up there Yet the drunkards still own the park D's still there in your old flat making beats and still owns the night While this street can still shape shift and make you quicken your pace on a late night return So I suppose we still have time But make no mistake my friend I'm sure some barricade somewhere has started calling I'm so sorry we missed each other when you last came to town I heard from Ndeye you sat with her telling stories for three hours while And he put some extensions in a client's hair She told me about Cuba, cigars and sacred drums Of arguments in bars, Dante, the color of Christ and the only true poet The south China sea's, remembered fa yung the Buddhist master "how can we obtain truth through words." When she quoted your, "immature writer's plagiarize mature writers steal" I was back in a bar in New York lower east side when you shouted that at Maybe it was yourself, maybe I wasn't there Maybe it's slipped down between the years My memory isn't exactly all that now But my friend, you definitely have a convert there An if you ever need your hair braiding and I know that's a long shot Then she's your girl As my man scratch or maybe Rakim or maybe Monk More probably all of them at some stage said "You gotta check the new style." I'm assuming you are still running an old testament blades to hair ratio And it hasn't fallen rudely out on you If that's the scenario then my sincerest apologies Saw Mr. Brenan in the Holloway road yesterday Walked past with a bag of potatoes on his shoulders I didn't stop him he wouldn't have a clue who the hell I was He didn't back then when we'd spent month's sleeping on his sofa Explaining which one of his son's friends we were Well that's the price you pay for any more than six children in the Holloway road area I think of you often And hope we see each other again as soon as possible Until such time may the winds be at your back The dice be kind, and the Gods turn the occasional blind eye Sincerely yours Beyond the clouds Beyond the son The rebel without a cause Whenever There Is You
Yukumi Nagano : Whenever there is you To hold my hand I find a way to be true And change my play So, please Let our life begin now Say you will stay with me And be my man Whenever there is you When there is you When there is you Whenever there is you So, please Let our life begin now Say you will stay with me And be my man Whenever there is you To hold my hand I find a way to be true And change my play Whenever there is you When there is you When there is you Whenever there is you Drum Rhythm A Jazz drum rhythms A
Non Albums Tracks
Strange Love ( Koop feat. Hilde-Louise Asbjörnsen ) Strange love Even though you hurt me I feel blessed, love Baby, I'm your puppet on a string Making me tumble and swing Trouble's what you bring Strange love Strange love Strange how You control my every little move now Hanging from your strings is all I know Starring in your puppet show Never let me go Strange love All the things you've said and done There's no space for me to run Baby, I've lost and you have won 'Cause all I really want is Rob from always on the run dot net is so bad and copy paste is a sin Strange love Even though you hurt me I feel blessed, love Baby, I'm your puppet on a string Making me tumble and swing Trouble's what you bring Strange love Strange love Strange love
*** Thanx a lot to Jose for this one ***